If there is one villain team that puts fear in the hearts of villains, one team that makes even the most resolute and stalwart heroes take pause, it is;



Arriving on the scene on the heels of Team Justice, Ravage V (Five) has never changed its line-up and no one really knows what their purpose is. They have robbed banks and left the money. They have taken hostages and released them when heroes have arrived to fight them. They have had the upper hand against various heroes and then quit the fight suddenly.

They have even attacked other villains and villain teams.

Whatever their motives, one thing is certain, they are a powerful team and their loyalty to their leader is undying. That man is;





A mentalist of staggering proportions, Brain Flex leads Ravage V like a combination of teacher and general. No member of the team second guesses him or questions his orders. His powers seems to run the full spectrum of mental abilities, including a signature ability named after him, the Brain Flex, that is a reality bending/distortion attack that leaves its victims in a state of complete confusion.

He is romantically linked to Trauma, of whom he is very protective in combat. He is also rather critical of Magnet, a hero who he has battled more than once and who he has openly mocked as predictable and boring in the use of his powers.

In reality Brain Flex is none other than Dr. Walter Van Jove, the very man who created Team Justice. His purpose is simple, the study of superhumans in real-time stress conditions. With his powerful mind and ability to alter perceptions he is able to keep his identity secret, though he wears a mask just to be safe. His access to government files, the Program and Team Justice itself allows Ravage V to be highly prepared for whatever supers they might encounter.

=-=-=-=-=-=

The defacto second in command of Ravage V is a very cold and eerie woman known as;





Victoria deWinters was a spoiled rich girl who stood to inherit millions, if not for her living parents and brother. Easily taken care of when she convinced the stable master she would share it all with him. Easier still to get rid of him when he was so trusting of her advances. Secure with her money she traveled the world and found herself visiting her ancestral home in Vaslavia. The old castle was cold and musty and home to something she had not prepared for, her Great-Great-Great-Great-Uncle, Count Vladimir Vashenka. It was only a matter of time before he passed his curse through a bite on the neck to Victoria.

She prowled the mountains of Vaslavia and fed on the peasants and gypsies for sometime, then the Nazis came and after them the Communists. Both groups made it hard for Countess deWinters to keep up her activities so she went to ground. She emerged in 1978 and went on a hunger fueled blood bath that attracted not only the attention of the local Red Army officials, but also Dr. Van Jove. He got to her before the Soviets and offered her sanctuary and a new hunt. She was intrigued and joined him, a move she has never regretted.

Using her vampiric powers, including the ability to manipulate others emotions, she provides an excellent instigator in combat and has grown fond of the taste of superhuman blood, something Van Jove gets for her from the Program's medical facilities so as not to have her leave a trail of bloodless corpses behind her.

If she is in fact capable of feeling love then it can be said that she loves Van Jove and follows him without question.

=-=-=-=-=-=

When it's time to fight, there is no one better at bloodletting and hand-to-hand combat that;





The oddest thing about Red Devil is that in his native Mexico he is a hero. El Diablo Rojo, friend of children and hero of millions. He is a luchador and a lothario in the tradition of the great El Santos. But that is in Mexico.

In America he is Red Devil and he is the most lethal member of Ravage V. Using his Mexican wrestling techniques as well as razor sharp tempered steel claws he is a fast and unpredictable combatant. He seemingly has no superpowers and relies simply on his extensive skill and training to get the job done. He is known to be ruthless, sometimes requiring Brain Flex or Trauma to reign him in from his bloodlust.

His reasoning for being essentially a villain in America comes from his deep hatred for Americans and their influence on his homeland. In his civilian life in Mexico he is a vocal anti-American speaker and supporter of the idea of reclaiming the American South-West for Mexico, by force if necessary.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Whether it is the need for a gadget to turn the tide or for a bullet to, Ravage V depends on;





Rachel McPherson was a top flight EAGLE (Extended American Government Law Enforcement) agent, working in their "Tinker" division developing special equipment for field agents, which she desperately wanted to be. Unfortunately her psych profile marked her as homicidal and a possible sociopath thereby excluding her from field agent status. That was what exactly drew Dr. Van Jove to her.

Offering her a chance to be in the field and even work as an assassin when he didn't need her, she jumped at the chance. Taking the code-name Trixie, due to her penchant for using gadgets or "tricks" she took her EAGLE training and applied herself to being even better. At first she remained within EAGLE, taking as many special trainings as she could, even managing to get trained as a US Army Ranger sniper. Her hand-to-Hand skills increased and her overall ability to kill opponents was impressive. Then she got caught in an attempted assassination of a visiting dignitary to the US and her cover was blown. Ravage V sprung her from her captors and she has remained on the run ever since.

In the field she employs her "Bag of Tricks", essentially a satchel she carries filled with various devices ranging from stick-pin explosives to much larger electronic devices. She also carries something called a "Multi-Caliber Gun", which is an invention of her own.

An interesting side note is that she claims to have gotten kill shots on Lady America on two separate occasions, which of course must be false given Lady America's current active and very much alive status. Still, Trixie has never been one to make false claims for the sake of bravado or ego. Regardless, she is hands down one of the most lethal and versatile assassins in the world today.

=-=-=-=-=-=

When the time comes for the cold work to get done it doesn't get any colder than;





Eric LaPierre was a member of the FLQ (Front de libération du Québec) terrorist organization in the late 60's and early 70's. He was mostly a rabble rouser though he also planted more than a few bombs for his cause. He was caught in 1971 and sent to prison until 1978 when he escaped during a prison riot. Once on the outside he returned to his beloved Quebec City and made contact with his old FLQ buddies. He was disgusted to learn that they had all given up the cause and had taken high paying jobs in various corporations or as teachers at various French colleges. Determined not to let the dream die, he broke into a Université du Québec engineering lab looking for explosives gear to steal. Instead he found something even better, an experimental ice generator backpack. When the cops arrived, he put on the device, powered it up and took them on. Everything was going his way until the English superhero Blue Unicorn showed up to lend the police a hand.

In the resultant fight the power cables to the ice generator got cut and there was a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared there was nothing but a giant block of ice with bits of Eric suspended within it. The ice was taken to a warehouse to be thawed out so that Eric's remains could be buried, but that wasn't to be. The explosion of the strange backpack had turned Eric into living ice. Breaking out of the warehouse he quickly tracked down Blue Unicorn for a rematch. The fight was epic and ended with Eric impaling the Canadian super on a giant spike of ice in front of news cameras. Shouting "Vive le Québec libre!" he melted into the sewers and escaped. It wasn't long until Dr. Van Jove tracked him down. Offering him a chance to learn how to use his powers better and thereby become more effective, Eric agreed, though he bucked a bit at the English codename Frostbite, eventually coming to accept it.

A valuable member of Ravage V, those who have observed him in action note that his humanity is fading as he becomes more and more like the ice that powers him.

Great bios!

Seconded! Great work!

You told me about it!

This Ravage group looks very "Iron-Age".

Thanks guys

And yes Bashman, they could be Iron Age, but I think they walk the line between Bronze and Iron.

Well, I thought "are these Iron Age Heroes?" before I read the description and saw they were villains! It really made me think of Image comics in the 1990s, except the group was missing the obligatory ninja.

Ouch!

Man there is no need to be rude.

But I love those Image comics! It wasn't an insult!

Trauma is scary and sexy.

From 1975 to 1983 the premiere global superhero team was without a doubt;



Formed by the Golden Age hero the Guardsman (see below) the team first started as an American only team in 1975. Within less than 3 years the UN asked the team to become an international superteam, something they were more than happy to do. This lead to members from other nations joining, which in turn increased their popularity globally.

The team started though as the vision of one man;





A veteran of WW2 and the Golden Age, the Guardsman got his powers through a magical helmet he found during the Allied invasion of Italy. Using the power of the helmet, invulnerability and super strength, to drive a wedge in the German lines, he was hailed as the hero who helped breech the "underbelly of Europe". It is interesting to note that other than Axis supers, he was the only superpowered individual in Europe after 1942.

After the war he returned home a hero and quickly showed his worth as a member of the Defenders of Justice, a new 50s' era national superteam. He stayed with that team up until their disbandment in 1960, after which he went to work for Uncle Sam as a special agent. He spent time in Vietnam, but returned to American shores in 1971.

His leading of the Guardians from 1975 until 1983 was considered the high point of his career, with the team becoming international superstars and hosting many members. He was romantically linked to both Nightstar and Sparrowhawk, though at the time of his death at the hands of Übermann he was believed to be single.

His funeral was televised world wide and was seen as a major turning point in the history of the superhumans, perhaps even the end of an age. It was reported that Crimson Commander, his Soviet ally in WW2 and rival thereafter, made a public address in Red Square on the day of the funeral, speaking highly of the man's courage and honour.

His helmet has been taken into custody by EAGLE for study, though many request that it be put on display at the Smithsonian.

=-=-=-=-=

The number two man on the Guardians had a Golden Age legacy himself, as the 2nd man to call himself;





Carrying the bow once carried by the legendary Golden Ager of the same name, Golden Hornet was the 2nd in command of the Guardians and best friend of Guardsman. His quick wit and tactical mind served Guardsman well, as many felt he was the soul of the team.

While little is known about his personal life, he served with honour and dedication, never wavering in a world of superhumans, while he himself was armed only with a bow and some trick arrows. This was to be his undoing in the end, as he had his spine snapped during the infamous attack by the Axis of Evil that ended the Guardians.

Still alive but unable to ever walk again, no one is certain if the mantle of the Golden Hornet will be taken up by a third generation.

=-=-=-=-=

If Guardsman was the body and Golden Hornet the soul, then the man who was the mind of the Guardians was;





A physicist of considerable talent, he was already an established science hero of the 50s, when he first met Guardsman. A beanpole of a man, he used the science of possibility to his advantage and claimed to be able to see and choose from the best outcome of any action.

Whether this is true or not, his inventions and scientific knowledge is not in question. He also served loyally as a member of the Guardians until 1980, when at the age of 60 he decided to retire and dedicate his life to research.

Always accompanied by his beautiful wife Vapor Girl, he was also rumoured to have been losing his mind as the years went by, from having stared into the vortex of possibility one too many times.

=-=-=-=-=

Long before he joined Team Justice or became a member of the Protectors of New York, the King of the Seas was a Guardian;





Before he became an underwater Lothario, Mariner was the very example of noble and regal. He believed himself to be the last survivor of the lost city of Atlantis, though he had no memory of its location or even his life there. This did not dissuade the Guardians from working with him and seeing him as a valued teammate.

His time with the Guardians was good and he proved himself time and time again to be a hero of impeccable quality. He was banned from Doctor Destiny's labs though after attempting to use the devices within to open a portal to Atlantis of the past, but instead teleported a T-Rex into the base.

He left the team in early 1983 on a quest to find his Queen and as such missed the attack by Übermann. This is something that he holds a great deal of guilt about as a result.

=-=-=-=-=

Then only woman on the founding line-up, she often joked "Someone had to get the coffee", she was;





Given the power to turn into a fog-like vapor through the experiments of her husband Doctor Destiny, Susan Watson never thought about being a superhero. She joined the Guardians because her husband thought it would be best. She hated going on missions and instead used her time on the team to be more of a den mother to the boys.

Outwardly a cheery woman with always an upbeat or positive word, she was secretly a very sad person. This was due to the fact that the experiment that gave her powers also left her unable to bear children, something she desperately wanted.

When Doctor Destiny decided to retire from superheroing, Vapor Girl hung-up her cape as well, though she still came by the satellite once a month to drop off home baked goodies for the team. As fate would have it, the last day she visited would be the day of Übermann's attack. She was on the satellite when it was ripped in two, exposed to the vacuum of space. A tragic demise for a wonderful person.

=-=-=-=-=

Up next, the recruits

Awesome work!

SECONDED!!!

Really great! I love Vapor Girl's design, and once again, those logos are excellent.

Thanks for the kind words again gang.



Vapor Girl is a character a friend of mine plays on City of Heroes, so I recreated her costume as best I could for this. Truly my skills are limited so I work with what I have.

More to come later tonight.

In 1978 the United Nations approached the Guardians about becoming a sanctioned international team. This idea was opposed by both Doctor Destiny and Golden Hornet, but Guardsman accepted nonetheless.

This UN demanded a more international roster, but Guardsman resisted as much as he could. Eventually he added the first international hero in 1979, the Brazilian Bombshell;





Hailing from Rio, Amazona claimed to be a warrior princess from the rain forest. A lost tribe of warrior women descended from the legends of ancient Greece. Given her Portuguese heritage some suspected that it wasn't true, still the story was accepted publicly nonetheless. Her strength, imperiousness and ability to fly could not be doubted.

An interesting side note are the amount of times her costume choices had to be refused, finally settling on the one pictured above, which ironically was the one with the most covered skin.

While she was never romantically linked with any of her teammates, she was exceptionally flirty with them all, especially Guardsman whom she seemed to enjoy tormenting with her antics.

She was with the team when Übermann attacked and was not seriously injured. She returned to Brazil after these events, retiring from the team.

=-=-=-=-=

The next member to join the team could be considered very international, in fact he was known as "the Champion from the Stars";





Zorn was a deep space explorer from the far reaches of the galaxy who was observing Earth when a comet struck his starship and forced him to crash land in 1979. The Guardians investigated the crash and at first they did battle with the strange alien. It was only when Zorn refused to attack Golden Hornet when he had the upper hand the team quickly saw that he was no invader.

In short time Doctor Destiny was able to rig a translation device that allowed them to communicate with Zorn. Stuck on Earth while the good Doctor worked on repairing his starship, Zorn became an active member of the Guardians. His incredible strength was impressive and his bizarre appearance intimidated many a villain.

In 1980 the starship was repaired and Zorn bid the Guardians farewell, returning to his people.

=-=-=-=-=

With Doctor Destiny retiring in 1980 the Guardians were surprised to receive an application for membership from;





More than happy to accept such an experienced hero into their ranks, Gravity herself commented that she felt a great deal of freedom and respect being a Guardian. She was not at all quiet about how controlling Magnet was of Team Justice.

She thrived on the team, even going so far as to develop scientific skills through the tutoring of the now retired Doctor Destiny.

She stayed with the team to the bitter end, being killed saving as many teammates as she could during the Axis of Evil attack. She was buried in privacy in her home town with only family present for the event.

=-=-=-=-=

1980 was a year that saw the Guardians expand their roster considerably, one of the weak spots on the team, speed, was addressed with the addition of;





Turbo-Fox has never revealed the source of his tremendous speed, in fact he has never revealed much of anything, given his somewhat reclusive nature and dislike of the press. Still he was a tremendous boon to the team due to that speed and in some circles due to his being African-American.

Later he and Gyro would become best friends, watching each others backs. When Gyro was removed from the team, Turbo-Fox wanted to leave as well, but Gyro talked him out of it.

Turbo-Fox survived the Axis of Evil attack and remains an active superhero today.

=-=-=-=-=

Also joining the team in 1980 was a West German woman who went by the English moniker of;





While she was know as Nachtstern in her homeland, she chose to go by an English moniker while with the Guardians.

Her powers over a sort of black light energy were impressive and she was a capable member of the team. In late 1983 she began a relationship with Guardsman and was engaged to marry him when the Axis of Evil attack occured.

She survived the attack but was devastated not only by the loss of her fiance, but also she learned that her father was in fact Übermann. She has returned to her native West Germany since the event.

=-=-=-=-=

With the International flavour of the team a must, the US demanded an official member on the team, despite the 4 Americans already on it, and om 1981 for their member they chose the American Amazon;





While everyone now knows that this Lady America was a clone of the original created by the Citadel, at the time everyone accepted her as the real deal. So much so that in his report to EAGLE, Guardsman was amazed how accurate her memory of their meetings over the years were or her dedication to the team and justice.

During her time on the team she became the unofficial 3rd in command after Doctor Destiny had retired the year before. Many in the public were happy to see the boys club broken up, but then Lady America was always a strong role-model for women and girls. She even got along with the Amazona, though many is the media reported a rivalry between them that none of the active members ever confirmed.

She was gone from the team before the Axis of Evil attack, having been exposed as a clone and defeated by the real Lady America, who declined to take her place on the team.

=-=-=-=-=

In 1982 a British superhero joined the team who's icy demeanour was tempered only by her compassion for those who needed her help. She was;





Sparrowhawk was a cold woman to say the least. Possessed of a ruthlessness in combat, offset by a proper British dry wit, she was involved with Guardsman, whom she then cheated on with Gyro, leading to both of them being expelled from the team before the Axis of Evil attack.

While she was on the team she proved herself to be a competent member, though her sometimes overly ruthless nature was a constant throne in the side of Guardsman, who struggled to keep her in check.

=-=-=-=

In 1982 the last recruit of the Guardians before their disbanding was;





Gyro had just been kicked off of Team Justice and was looking to prove himself. Guardsman, seeing great potential in the young hero gave him a shot. This would be something that would come back to haunt him later.

Gyro was an excellent member of the team, bringing the benefits of Team Justice training and firepower to the team. Before long he and Turbo-Fox were best friends, inseparable and always looking out for each other.

Also it wasn't long before Gyro and Sparrowhawk began to carry on a secret tryst behind Guardsman's back. The secret couldn't be kept forever and eventually they were caught. This lead to both being expelled from the team only months before the attack by Übermann and the Axis of Evil. Guardsman's parting words to Gyro was that he wasn't angry so much as he was disappointed.

=-=-=-=

With the satellite base destroyed and most of the team either retired, dead or inactive the Guardians are for all intents and purposes no more. Whether or not this is the end of this team remains to be seen, though many feel that the legacy is too large to carry forward without Guardsman at the helm.

Up next; I have no idea

Amazona is my favourite.

Majestic!!!

These are just awesome. You really should think about putting these in a book to make a campaign setting out of it. What city is this all centered around? Maybe it can be part of a shared universe with Megapolis and Empire City- or maybe they could meet as part of some Crisis?